ZACH DUNCAN: Suarez rises to the occasion

England is no stranger to crushing eliminations from the World Cup, having been ousted three times by penalty kicks.

Luis Suarez added another heartbreaking outcome to the country's ledger with an 85th-minute goal. While not officially done, England was all but ousted Thursday from the knockout stage after a second consecutive 2-1 defeat.

Hey, at least Wayne Rooney scored his first World Cup goal. England also has plenty of blossoming talent that bodes well for the future.

But Brits are rarely the half-glass-full type, and they'll point the finger at a defense that had poor marking on both game-winning goals.

Like elite forwards often do, Suarez made all the difference in this Group D showdown. He didn't look like a player less than a month removed from knee surgery and who wasn't fit to play in Uruguay's opener.

Rooney had just as many scoring chances as Suarez, but the latter showed the killer instinct needed in a must-win game. Suarez rose to the occasion once again with two goals and threatening crosses.

Uruguay isn't guaranteed of advancing and will need points in its final Group D game against Italy, but it looks like a much tougher out with Suarez on the pitch.

With Joey Altidore officially being ruled out, Jurgen Klinsmann is faced with multiple options at forward against Portugal.

The U.S. coach could play with only Clint Dempsey up front, which would allow another midfielder like Graham Zusi to start. If not, the two forward options are Chris Wondolowski or Aron Jóhannsson, who was mostly invisible against Ghana.

I'd bet the USMNT stays with a 4-4-2 and that Jóhannsson gets the nod, but Wondolowski will be a quick sub if the 23-year-old can't produce.

Colombia's James Rodriguez has been the best young player to date in this tournament. The 22-year-old scored in his second straight match and then had the steal that led to the second goal in a 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast.

African sides have struggled in this World Cup with a 1-5-1 record, but Ivory Coast should still advance to the Round of 16 next week.

Zach Duncan in a sports writer for the Wichita Falls Times Record News.